Session 3 3.1 Monitoring Understanding How do you monitor students' understanding in your classroom? Monitoring understanding in my classroom is measured in a variety of ways. Through classroom discussions, notebook revisions, multiple check in strategies such as 3 minutes pause, dip sticking, clip boarding and summarizing techniques, etc. Also used as monitoring tools are unit assessments, quizzes, projects and presentations and of course district wide assessments. How might that practice change as you implement more technology?All mentioned above will not change, as we will still need to practice traditional monitoring. However, the virtual notebook will be a great change to better monitor and assess understanding. The virtual notebook will be visual evidence of ongoing learning, revision and growth. Those students that hide will be identified, those that shine will be showcased. Collaboration and teamwork will foster relationships between peers in which they will then help and monitor each other. "Can you help me with my homework? Sure copy mine." Will change to, "Can you show me how?" Show me how and I can do it...I then learn it!
3.2 Before During and After Strategies Summary: Before, during and after literacy strategies are "how to" steps or techniques to support students to master content. These strategies are also monitoring tools for teachers to use to assess or check in for understanding throughout the entire learning process. The objective is to see continued and measurable growth as the lessons and strategies build. Strategies Used: Before reading strategies are necessary to active prior knowledge and "hook" the students interest in the topic of discussion. Often this is my favorite part of the lesson. It can be the creative or exciting "bang" of the lesson. The Geography Alive! series is fabulous for preview lessons and before strategies. I often use I See/It Means, the Frayer Model and previewing the chapter. During lesson strategies include 2 column notes, revisions, jigsaws, get the gist, think, write, pair, share and graphic organizers and so may more. My after strategies fall short. I know this is were I need to push myself and the students for more inference and more global reflection. Often the lesson or unit ends and the pacing guide dictates the schedule to assess in a traditional manner. I think inquiry based learning will begin to fill this gap. 3.3 Wordle as a Before Reading Strategy What does it seem that Wordle can do for the user? Wordle as a before reading strategy can help activate a students' prior knowledge about a topic. It helps the reader to make connections and interests on the topic. It also begins to serve as a graphic organizer that can be revised as the student becomes more knowledgable on the topic. How useful does Wordle seem to be as a before reading strategy for students? As stated above, a Wordle has many benefits for retaining information as a visual organizer, a study guide and connecting to the topic. What type of learners would benefit from using a Wordle? Visual learner will especially find this strategy useful, however, all learners will benefit as a Wordle can be used as a before, during or after strategy.
What observations and predictions about your article can you make based on this Wordle? The article I chose is about technology. My prediction is that the larger words represent the topic of the article and these words must be used often in the article. I am please to see that the words parents and practice are very large. I am predicting the article puts a lot of accountability on parental involvement and children practicing their digital skills to become proficient 21st century learners. What connections to your background knowledge can you make? The Wordle reminds me of a collage, or a finished word search.
Comments: After analyzing the Wordle, I thought the article was about technology. My predictions about the sizing of the words did represent the importance or the amount of time the article referred to the specific word. The article did discuss the importance that parents and the amount of time children practice with using technology has an impact on learning and becoming digital citizens connecting with the world. Using Word to highlight and mark up the text certainly gave me a better understanding of the article. By marking it up, one can also see my connections and comments. This is very powerful and others can also comment back. As a teacher, this would be useful to identify those students that are having issues identifying the main idea of the article. Students enjoy highlighting an entire article in fun colors, some having absolutely no idea why they are marking it up. Being required to comment on a statements importance or why it is relevant to the article is an outstanding assessment tool. Additional Comments: I tried both googledocs and crocodoc and could not find the embed code. I will ask around for help and try at a later date. :) 3.5 Top Five Vocabulary - After Reading Activity digital media: Any and all forms of communication using technology. high-tech tools: A tool is used to help a person accomplish a given goal. Technology is a tool to assist students in their educational goals. Students need to be trained to use all applications of technology and become masters of this tool to truly become civic leaders of our world. interactive practices: To be interactive is to engage with others. It is not 1 sided learning or engagement. It is a process in which there is an exchange of ideas and communication or actions and reactions. civic engagement: When people become involved collectively and help change or alter the public's views or concerns. 21st century education: Education that incorporates the use of technology as a tool to cultivate civically responsible students. Helping them to communicate, connect and change the world.
3.1 Monitoring Understanding
How do you monitor students' understanding in your classroom?
Monitoring understanding in my classroom is measured in a variety of ways. Through classroom discussions, notebook revisions, multiple check in strategies such as 3 minutes pause, dip sticking, clip boarding and summarizing techniques, etc. Also used as monitoring tools are unit assessments, quizzes, projects and presentations and of course district wide assessments.
How might that practice change as you implement more technology? All mentioned above will not change, as we will still need to practice traditional monitoring. However, the virtual notebook will be a great change to better monitor and assess understanding. The virtual notebook will be visual evidence of ongoing learning, revision and growth. Those students that hide will be identified, those that shine will be showcased. Collaboration and teamwork will foster relationships between peers in which they will then help and monitor each other. "Can you help me with my homework? Sure copy mine." Will change to, "Can you show me how?" Show me how and I can do it...I then learn it!
3.2 Before During and After Strategies
Summary: Before, during and after literacy strategies are "how to" steps or techniques to support students to master content. These strategies are also monitoring tools for teachers to use to assess or check in for understanding throughout the entire learning process. The objective is to see continued and measurable growth as the lessons and strategies build.
Strategies Used: Before reading strategies are necessary to active prior knowledge and "hook" the students interest in the topic of discussion. Often this is my favorite part of the lesson. It can be the creative or exciting "bang" of the lesson. The Geography Alive! series is fabulous for preview lessons and before strategies. I often use I See/It Means, the Frayer Model and previewing the chapter. During lesson strategies include 2 column notes, revisions, jigsaws, get the gist, think, write, pair, share and graphic organizers and so may more. My after strategies fall short. I know this is were I need to push myself and the students for more inference and more global reflection. Often the lesson or unit ends and the pacing guide dictates the schedule to assess in a traditional manner. I think inquiry based learning will begin to fill this gap.
3.3 Wordle as a Before Reading Strategy
What does it seem that Wordle can do for the user? Wordle as a before reading strategy can help activate a students' prior knowledge about a topic. It helps the reader to make connections and interests on the topic. It also begins to serve as a graphic organizer that can be revised as the student becomes more knowledgable on the topic.
How useful does Wordle seem to be as a before reading strategy for students? As stated above, a Wordle has many benefits for retaining information as a visual organizer, a study guide and connecting to the topic.
What type of learners would benefit from using a Wordle? Visual learner will especially find this strategy useful, however, all learners will benefit as a Wordle can be used as a before, during or after strategy.
What observations and predictions about your article can you make based on this Wordle? The article I chose is about technology. My prediction is that the larger words represent the topic of the article and these words must be used often in the article. I am please to see that the words parents and practice are very large. I am predicting the article puts a lot of accountability on parental involvement and children practicing their digital skills to become proficient 21st century learners.
What connections to your background knowledge can you make? The Wordle reminds me of a collage, or a finished word search.
3.4 Annotated Article - During Reading Strategy
Comments: After analyzing the Wordle, I thought the article was about technology. My predictions about the sizing of the words did represent the importance or the amount of time the article referred to the specific word. The article did discuss the importance that parents and the amount of time children practice with using technology has an impact on learning and becoming digital citizens connecting with the world. Using Word to highlight and mark up the text certainly gave me a better understanding of the article. By marking it up, one can also see my connections and comments. This is very powerful and others can also comment back. As a teacher, this would be useful to identify those students that are having issues identifying the main idea of the article. Students enjoy highlighting an entire article in fun colors, some having absolutely no idea why they are marking it up. Being required to comment on a statements importance or why it is relevant to the article is an outstanding assessment tool.
Additional Comments: I tried both googledocs and crocodoc and could not find the embed code. I will ask around for help and try at a later date. :)
3.5 Top Five Vocabulary - After Reading Activity
digital media: Any and all forms of communication using technology.
high-tech tools: A tool is used to help a person accomplish a given goal. Technology is a tool to assist students in their educational goals. Students need to be trained to use all applications of technology and become masters of this tool to truly become civic leaders of our world.
interactive practices: To be interactive is to engage with others. It is not 1 sided learning or engagement. It is a process in which there is an exchange of ideas and communication or actions and reactions.
civic engagement: When people become involved collectively and help change or alter the public's views or concerns.
21st century education: Education that incorporates the use of technology as a tool to cultivate civically responsible students. Helping them to communicate, connect and change the world.